Vandals Deface Memorial of Raoul Wallenberg

Vandals defaced the memorial of 'Righteous Gentile' Raoul Wallenberg, who saved the lives of tens of thousands of Jews during the Holocaust.

Rachel Hirshfeld, 23/05/12 13:13

Yad VaShem

Israel news photo: Flash 90

Vandals defaced the memorial in Budapest of Swedish diplomat Raoul Wallenberg, who saved the lives of tens of thousands of Jews during the Holocaust, Hungarian media outlets reported Wednesday.

A group of Jewish tourists from New York, visiting in the Hungarian capital, alerted authorities after they found bloody pig feet suspended from the statute.

The Righteous Gentile used his position as envoy to the Nazi occupied city to issue protective passports and shelter Jews, saving tens of thousands of lives. He was arrested in 1945 on espionage when the Soviet Army entered Budapest and subsequently disappeared.

This year marks the 100th anniversary of his birth.

Wallenberg was awarded the title of "Righteous Among the Nations" by the Yad Vashem Holocaust Memorial Museum in Jerusalem.